Artificial grape and method of producing same



J. H. EMERY.

ARTIFICIAL GRAPE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, I921- V Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

UNITED STATES "PAQTEINTI OFFICE.-

JAMES H. EMERY, or NEW YORK, N. r.

I ARTIFTQIAL GRAPE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME;

To all wlwm it may concern:

Be ltknown that 1, JAMES H. EMERY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Inwood Park, county of Queens, city and State of v New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Artificial Grapes andMethods of Producing-Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to artificial grapes and a method of producingsuch grapes.

- 4 The principal object of the invention .iS

to produce artificial grapes which in appear.

gn'ce are substantially identical tov the natural ruit.

A further object is to provide a simple, quick and economical method ofproducing such artificial fruit. One embodiment of trated in theaccompanying drawings in which: I

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic front elevation of a mold for casting thecores of the grapes showing the casting process in vari-. ous stages, I

Fig. 2 is a plan View Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 and Fig.4is'a vertical section of a finished grape.

of the mold shown in In carrying out the invention a two part;

mold of one or more natural grapes-is first pro i ided in any suitablemanner, but most desirably in accordance with the method of peakingsu'ch molds illustrated in the patent o applicant No. 1,373,121, grantedMarch 29, 1921. The mold is thenfilled with a suitable quantity of anyconvenient or desired temporarily fluid thermoplastic com-' position.When the filling composition has cooled sufiiciently to becomeviscous,'a stem of suitable material, such as wire, is inserted to aproper depth in the mold. As

cooling continues, the composition solidifies,

the stem becomes firmly. embedded inthe core, the mold is then separatedand the core of the grape removed. Any bur or fin surrounding the stemis removed and the grapecore is finished. a

The core is now dipped in a molten bath ofsuitable thermoplasticmaterial and immediately removed, sufiicient of the bath mate-- rialadhering to the core completely to coat the same. The coating hardensalmost immediately after the core is removed from the the invention isillus- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 13, 1921.Application filed February 5, 1921. Serial No. 442,603. I

bath, and is then dusted with a suitable finely divided light coloredpowder, and the cated studs 3 which fitv into correspondingly v locatedrecesses 4: provided in thepart 1- to insure correct registry betweenthe parts 1 and 2. While the invention may be carried out with a moldfor a single grape, it is most conveniently practised witha moldproviding for the casting of say a dozen or more grapes at oneoperation. "When such a mold -1s employed the upper inner edges oftheparts land 2 are beveled a'sat 5 to provide a trough for;distributingtne thermoplastic core material poured from the spout 6 tothe various recesses 7. It is then only neces- ,sary while maintainingthe upper edge of the-mold substantially level, to pour thethermoplastic material into the trough whence it flows by gravity intothe various recesses 7. Since most suitable thermoplastic materials havean appreciable coefficient ofexpansion upon heating and will thereforecontract when cooled, itis desir- I able to pour a. slightexcess of thecore composition into the trough. As this composition cools and shrinksin each individual mold 7, the excess material will flow from the troughinto the recesses 7 thereby insuring a final casting of substantiallythe same size as that of the mold.-

I n producing imitations of grapes having a dark colpr, such as blue, itis immaterial we er t e core is trans arent or opaque, cd loiiid orcolorless, since the outside coating 8 applied to the core will preventthepassage of light'through the grape. When, however, grapes of alighter color, such as lightred or light green, are being imitated,

it is important to use almost colorless and nearly transparent or atleast translucent material in making the core. The remarkably closeresemblance between the light colored artificial grapes produced inaccordance with this invention and the natural articles results from thefact that the cores have substantially the same optical properties asthe pulp of the natural grape, while the coating 8 has opticalproperties substantially identical to those of a natural grape skin.

In order to prevent the stem 9 from becoming detached from the corethere is most desirably provided a bent or hook portion which, whenembedded in the corasecu -sly anchors the stem in place. Variousmaterials are suitable for use as stems, but it has been found thatthehest results are 'nedby the use of oxidized copper wire lip; withsome adhesive powder of light The most satisfactory material for tnispurpose has been. found to be finely did oxid of zinc.

ll hile the invention may be carried out with various thermoplasticmaterials, such as animal, vegetable or mineral waxes, it has been foundthat the best results are obtained in. casting the cores when a mixtureof about parts of paraiiin to 1 part of carnauba wax is used. Thecarnauba wax serves to raise melting point of the mixture as well as toincrease its hardness when in the solid state and the same mixture, withthe addition of suitable coloring material, makes coating for thegrapes.

Having thus fully described the invention what claimed is:

1. An artificial grape comprising a core of thermoplastic material and acoating of L ed material covering said core.

An artificial rape comprising a core oi translucent thermoplasticmaterial and a colored translucent coating covering said core.

3 An artificial grape comprising a core of colorless translucent wax anda. coating of colored translucent wax covering said translucent waxcovering said core 7 ieeoeee and a lightcolored powder adhering to thesurface of said coating.

5. An artificial grape comprising a core of colorless translucent wax, acoating of colored translucent wax covering said core and an oxid ofzinc powder adhering to said coatin 6. An artificial grape comprising acore of thermoplastic material, a stem projecting from said core, and acolored coating covering said core.

7. An artificial grape comprising a core of thermoplastic material and astem' projecting from, the core, said stem having a bent portionembedded within said core.

8. A core for artificial grapes comprising substantiallv nineteen partsof parafiin to one part of carnauba wax and having opti-' cal propertiessimilar to those of a natural grape pulp.

9. In an artifiicial grape, in combination, a core composed of materialcontaining substantially nineteen partsof paraflin to one part ofcarnauba wax, and a colored coating of the same material.

10. The method of producing artificial grapes which consists in fillinga. mold with a temporarily fluid thermoplastic material and allowing thecontents of the mold to cool until it becomes viscous, then inserting astem in the viscous core, then allowing the contents to solidify, thenremoving the resulting core from the mold and coating it with coloredthermoplastic material.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 which consists in dusting thecoating with powdered oxid of zinc.

12. An artificial grape comprising a core of thermoplastic material'anda coating covering said core.

13. An artificial grape comprising a core of thermoplastic material anda'stem projecting from the core, said stem having a portion embeddedwithin said core.

JAMES H. EMERY.

DISCLAIMER 1,390,349.James H. Emery, New York, N. Y. ARTIFICIAL GRAPEAND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME. Patent dated September 13, 1921.Disclaimer filed December 23, 1933, by the patentee.

Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12 and 13of said Letters Patent, Which are in the following Words, to Wit:

1. An artificial grape comprising a core of thermoplastic material and acoating of colored material covering said core.

2. An artificial grape comprising a core of translucent thermoplasticmaterial and a colored translucent coating covering said core.

3. An artificial grape comprising a core of colorless translucent Waxand a coating of colored translucent Wax covering said core. I

4. An artificial grape comprising a core of colorless translucent Wax, acoating of colored translucent Wax covering said core and a lightcolored powder adhering to the surface of said coating.

5. An artificial grape comprising a core of colorless translucent Wax, acoating of colored translucent Wax covering said core and an oxid ofzinc powder adhering to said coating.

6. An artificial grape comprising a core of thermoplastic material, astem projecting from said core, and a colored coating covering saidcore.

7. An artificial grape comprising a core of thermoplastic material and astem projecting from the core, said stem having a bent portion embeddedWithin said core.

"12. An artificial grape comprising a core of thermoplastic material anda coating covering said core.

13. An artificial grape comprising a core of thermoplastic material anda stem projecting from the core, said stem having a portion embeddedWithin said core.

[Ofiicial Gazette January 16, 1.934.]

